It is well known to provide ribbon or tape carrying cassettes for apparatus such as ticket issuing devices, typewriters, computer printers, video recorders and the like. In most cases the cassette is used until the print ribbon is expended whereafter the cassette as a whole is simply discarded. The useful life of a ribbon normally comprises no more than two passes of the ribbon from spool to spool, achieved by inverting the cassette after the first pass has been completed, so that the discarding of the cassette casing, a not inexpensive construction, represents a substantial wastage.